A new movement to loosen laws on gun control is causing a stir and several states are pushing the limits of gun laws to new boundaries. Bills that have been rejected in the past are currently on the process of being passed, which is becoming more and more of a hazard to the general public. The open carry law permits people to carry a firearm as long as it is clearly visible. Currently 43 states allow some sort of open carry and Virginia being latest to pass this law. Virginia has done it a little differently though, it has passed a concealed carry law.
It’s a dangerous idea and has caused quite the uproar, but several gun enthusiasts are pleading the Second Amendment. On the official open carry website, opencarry.org, their motto has become “a right unexercised is a right lost.” It is within their Constitutional rights to do so as the Second Amendment allows people to bear arms, but the Second Amendment was written in 1787. During the colonial times, there were no police to call for help and a man’s only protection was his gun. Times have changed; a telephone or computer can get you in touch with anyone, namely a police officer. National Rifle Association which has been strongly pushing forward these new found laws said that the flock is safer when the wolves can’t tell the difference between the lions and the lambs. However they completely fail to see how this can go all wrong and end up with severe consequences.
Surprisingly, President Obama, who many people thought was going to make gun laws stricter, has done nothing to stop this. “The president supports and respects the Second Amendment, and he believes we can take common-sense steps to keep our streets safe and to stem the flow of illegal guns to criminals” said Ben LaBolt, a White House spokesman. You may see this as a response, but it’s an excuse for Obama. In his campaign he intended to ban ammunition and guns altogether, and when he took office gun advocates were worried. It seemed like a step in the right direction, yet other issues such as the new health care bill has had him too occupied.
The Virginia Tech shooting was one of the darkest moments in recent history. Seung-Hui Choi, a Virginia Tech student, passed his background check, received his permit, and obtained his hand gun. With that gun in Richmond, Virginia at 8:45 a.m. he killed 32 students and faculty before killing taking his own life. Many people blamed the government for not being able to detect him as a threat, but if he didn’t pass, he still would have been able to obtain a gun. If a college student was able to obtain his gun, so could a criminal. What would be stopping a criminal from getting a gun and using it to do harm? But by passing more open and concealed carry laws, we would not be learning from this mistake.
Imagine walking to a restaurant with a bar and seeing a man with a beer in hand and a gun at his hip. Wouldn’t that make you nervous? The combination of alcohol and guns could be a deadly mix. It’s even a bit reminiscent of the old Wild West. People with guns and alcohol and no laws, is that what we want to go back to? The life expectancy during the Wild West was significantly less than now, not because of disease, but because everyone was shooting everyone else. There were no laws on gun control and with the new open carry laws, it seems as though we are going that direction.